Trump is making moves behind the scenes. And Americans are reaping the benefits.
Now this U.S. industry is about to be unleashed thanks to this $625 million gift.
President Trump is delivering on his bold promise to unleash America’s energy dominance with a powerhouse $625 million investment to supercharge aging coal plants and swing open 13.1 million acres of federal lands for mining, a triumphant reversal of the regulatory chokehold that’s battered the industry for years.
This strategic masterstroke not only revives a vital sector but ensures the reliable, affordable power needed to fuel the AI boom and keep America ahead in the global tech race, creating jobs and slashing energy costs for working families.
Unleashing Clean Coal for America’s Energy Independence
Energy Secretary Chris Wright championed the initiative as a game-changer for rural America, with most funds earmarked for cutting-edge upgrades to existing plants and innovative projects that lock in base load power where it’s needed most.
“The coal industry has been under assault under previous administrations, but now, coal plants will remain relied upon to power the U.S. and win the AI race,” Mr. Wright declared, echoing President Trump’s unwavering commitment to lower electricity bills, fortify national security, and meet skyrocketing demands from emerging technologies.
Coal, which powered nearly 45% of U.S. electricity in 2010, now stands at about 15% amid the natural gas surge, but its dispatch-able reliability remains unmatched for grid stability—especially as renewables falter without backups during extreme weather spikes.
President Trump’s vision, as outlined in his April executive orders, positions coal as a “critical mineral” essential for steel production and economic might, directly countering the Biden-era war on fossil fuels that nearly drove it to extinction.
Dismantling Barriers to Fuel a Coal Renaissance
Building on a string of decisive wins, the administration has obliterated Obama and Biden-era roadblocks, including lifting a decade-old federal leasing moratorium and slashing royalty rates from 12.5% to 7% via landmark tax reforms—making U.S. coal fiercely competitive on the world stage.
The EPA, under Administrator Lee Zeldin, has scrapped suffocating caps on carbon, mercury, and wastewater pollution, while granting extensions for coal ash compliance to keep plants humming without bureaucratic sabotage.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, chair of the National Energy Dominance Council, hailed the moves as a lifeline: “This is an industry that was under assault,” he said, spotlighting how these reforms will ignite high-wage jobs in coal country and export opportunities to allies, all while stabilizing a grid strained by AI’s voracious appetite—projected to double global demand by 2030.
With upcoming auctions in key states like Wyoming and West Virginia, the administration is poised to flood the market with American-made energy, proving President Trump’s “mine baby, mine” mantra is no empty slogan.
Powering Prosperity Amid Predictable Pushback
President Trump’s coal revival isn’t just policy—it’s a patriotic charge to reclaim America’s industrial edge, with scrubber technologies already slashing emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, soot, and mercury to historic lows, making “beautiful clean coal” a reality.
As the Energy Information Administration notes, 2024 marked coal’s lowest output since 1964 at 10% of total production, but these investments signal a turnaround that prioritizes real-world reliability over ideological fantasies. Environmental groups, like the Sierra Club, fired off familiar alarms:
“Rather than investing in clean, affordable energy to power our country, more coal will increase deadly air pollution, poison our water with harmful heavy metals, and drastically worsen the health of our loved ones,” warned Chief Program Officer Holly Bender—but the administration’s track record shows innovation, not obstruction, drives cleaner outcomes. Zeldin fired back: “Americans are suffering because the past administration attempted to apply heavy-handed regulations to coal and other forms of energy it deemed unfavorable.”
